Liquid Phase Benzylation of Toluene over Modified Titania Catalysts

Titania, sulfated titania and a series of iron loaded sulfated titania catalyst with different iron loadings (39 %) are prepared by sol-gel method and calcined at 500°C. Anatase is found to be the active phase with crystallite size in the nano range. All the prepared catalysts are found to be stable up to 700°C. Acidity is measured using spectrophotometric monitoring of adsorption of perylene, thermogravimetric desorption of 2,6-dimethylpyridine and temperature programmed desorption of ammonia. The activities of the catalysts were tested for liquid phase Friedel-Crafts benzylation of toluene with benzyl chloride. It has been concluded that Lewis acid sites are responsible for the reaction

Monitoring of Pesticide Residues in Commonly Used Fruits and Vegetables in Bengaluru

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were used to evaluate the level of different pesticides in some commonly used fruits in Bengaluru region of Karnataka. Although most fruits and vegetable samples analyzed were found to be contaminated with pesticide residues,  they were under maximum residue limit (MRL) after the salted water wash. Samples with residues above MRL may pose health hazards to the consumers. It may be due to lack of awareness of the farmers about the application dose, method of application and withholding period. The findings of this study provide important data about contamination of pesticide residue in some fruits and vegetables sold in Bengaluru

Kinetic Study on Oxidation of Thiodipropionic Acid by Iron (III)- bipyridine Complex

Iron(III)-bipyridine complex was prepared andcharacterized by UV-Visible spectrophotometer. Kineticstudy was carried out by using this iron(III)-bipyridinewith thiodipropionic acid in aqueous acetonitrile solution.The reaction was optimized by studying the effect onsubstrate, solvent, oxidant, acidity and temperature. Firstorder, second order rate constants and activationparameters were calculated. The above reaction wasfound to be second order and proceeded through electrontransfer from thiodipropionic acid to iron(III)-bipyridinecomplex. The product was characterized and confirmedby IR and NMR spectroscopy.Keywords: Thiodipropionic acid, Iron(III)-bipyridine complex,kinetic study of Iron(III)-bipyridyl complexes

Synthesis, Spectral and Magnetic Properties of Ternary Nickel (II) Complexes with Acid Hydrazones and Heterocyclic Bases

A series of nickel(II) complexes have been synthesized by the reaction of nickel(II) acetate with some hydrazones in presences of heterocyclic bases like 2 2’-bipyridine and 1, 10- phenanthroline and characterized by analytical and other spectral techniques, like IR, far IR, and UV-Vis spectral studies and magnetic susceptibility studies

Synthesis of bismuth silicate nanostructures with tunable morphology and enhanced photocatalytic activity

170-174Bismuth oxide due to its narrow bandgap has attracted significant attention as a photocatalyst. A facile and efficient method to synthesize bismuth silicate with tunable morphology and property is achieved in this study. Bismuth oxide and bismuth silicate have been synthesized by surfactant-assisted modified sol-gel method. The fabricated bismuth oxide nanoparticle samples are characterized by various analytical tools such as X-Ray diffractometer, Infra-Red spectroscopy, Scanning Electron microscopy and UV-Diffuse Reflectance spectroscopy. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Rhodamine B dye in aqueous medium. Bismuth silicate exerts more satisfactory catalytic property and outstanding reusability compared to pure bismuth oxide. The superior stability and enhanced activity enables the application of bismuth silicate as a photocatalyst for environmental remediation